


ZetaFlash Week!

by starrychaos



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Fluff, Future, Graduation, M/M, Plans For The Future, Speedsters In Love, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Zetaflash Week, Zombie Apocalypse, bart and ed, bartuardo, short and sweet, zetaflash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-03
Updated: 2019-09-10
Packaged: 2020-10-06 14:35:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20508623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starrychaos/pseuds/starrychaos
Summary: I. Didn't. Know. Zetaflash. Week. Was. Here. Already. but im here for it. so i am going to *try* to post days 1-3 to get up to date!





	1. Day 1: Firsts

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to do something different for firsts. So i did like, first pet. Cause. it's cute and i don't think i saw this done before (at least for zetaflash?) I hope y'all enjoy!!

All the teens quickly filed into the common room, sitting on whatever seat they could find. 

Even Perdita was there, since Gar and her were supposed to go on a date when everyone received an urgent message from Kid Flash.

When everyone settled down, they turned their attention to Bart who was pacing back and forth, seemingly lost in thought. 

After a few moments, he spoke up. 

“I’m sure you are all wondering why I called you here. It’s nothing bad! It’s totally crash! So… remember when Jay said I couldn’t get the dog that wandered onto our porch last week?”

Everyone exchanged confused glances before giving a grunt in unison. 

“Well… He said I could get a fish!!”

None of the heroes knew exactly how to respond, since a fish is a lackluster reason to call a team meeting. 

“That’s cool Bart but uh… Why did you call us all here?” Gar asked what everyone was wondering. 

Judging by Bart’s eye roll and exasperated sigh, they were all clearly missing something. 

“I called you here because...” He drew out before giving a big, boxy smile, “This is a momentous occasion. And I’d like company. Annnnd I need help setting up the tank and stuff?” 

“Oh. That’s great hermano, but I actually had plans with Traci and so I should really get going.” 

Everyone else began to murmur excuses and trickled out of the room, trying to find things to keep them busy. Everyone that is, except Ed. 

Bart didn’t really seem to mind, since it was a little excessive to call everyone for such a simple task. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t excited to spend time with Ed. 

Ed didn’t mind either since he hadn’t been able to hang out with Bart lately. Helping at the clinic and being a hero and still trying to lead a normal teenage life was way harder than he thought it would be. Not that he was complaining, he enjoyed his life now. Though, he’d be lying if he said he didn’t miss being able to spend time with a certain speedster. 

The pair decided to make a whole day of it. They tried to figure out what to eat.

Bart suggested pizza. 

Bart always suggested pizza. 

Ed offered to make his favorite Argentinian meal, but they would have to do that after they got the fish. 

Ed made a list of ingredients and they went to the grocery store and grabbed everything before heading to Bart’s house. 

They put away the food quickly and went back out, this time to the pet store. 

They stood in front of the PetCo, Bart almost unable to contain his excitement. 

“Woah ese. Calm down.” 

“But I’m excited! And nervous. What if I don’t find ‘the one’” Bart looked at Ed, who had been trying to hold back a cackle. 

“It’s a fish, not a life partner.” 

“That’s where you’re wrong her-man-o.” He drew out the last word, completely butchering the pronunciation but Ed had found it somewhat endearing. “This fish is going to be my best friend and I’m going to have so many crash moments with him… or her.” 

This made Ed roar with laughter. Bart’s face change from happy to a pouty. Tears formed in Ed’s eyes and he tried to calm himself down, but everytime he looked at Bart with his cute puppy dog eyes and scrunched nose he laughed harder. Bart was absolutely adorable. 

After a while, Ed calmed down and grabbed onto Bart’s shoulders and pushed him towards the door. 

“Let’s go meet your new best friend” 

After at least an hour of looking over the dozens of bettas, Bart finally narrowed his options down to two. A golden betta and a blue betta. 

“So what’s it going to be hermano?” 

“I don’t know. Both are just.. So me.” 

“Is that so?” Ed raised an eyebrow at the speedster, who was in deep concentration. Ed could practically hear Bart’s inner monologue debating between the two fish. 

“I think I’m going to pick this one.” Bart concluded, setting the blue one back on the stand. 

The pair finished gathering their supplies and checked out. 

Once they were back at the house, they started setting up the tank. As they waited for the water to become the right temperature, they decided to make dinner. 

It didn’t take too long, even with a counterproductive speedster offering to help every few minutes. 

They ate in silence, enjoying each other’s company. 

Eventually, it was time to move the fish into the tank. 

“What made you pick that one?” Ed asked, making small talk. 

“He reminds me of you.”


	2. Day 2: Flustered

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let me tell you. blood guts and all things sad and gory I am great at writing. sappy, cute, sweet moments I suck at. oops.

It wasn’t unusual for Bart and Ed to hang out everyday after school and chores and jobs were completed. The two always gravitated towards each other, and the rest of the team could sense something between them that neither of the boys had come to realise yet. 

Their hangouts were the only thing keeping Ed sane most of the time. From practically running the clinic (no thanks to his father), taking care of his household (again, no thanks to his father), being a full time hero and a full time teenager was no easy feat. He adored the moments he got to just be Ed with Bart. No capes, no responsibilities, nothing but two people spending time together.

Jay had been spending a lot of time away from the house, grieving the loss in his own way.

Bart is usually left alone most nights, due to his caretaker’s absence. He disliked the nights the most, since the speedster always felt happier with people around.

Ed had no problem stepping up and being there for Bart.  
\--------

He clung to his bag and hit the door bell. Before the bell could even give a first ‘ding’, the door was thrusted open and a smiling speedster stood before him. 

“Good evening hermano, you ready for a totally crash evening?” Bart took a step back and gestured for his friend to come inside. 

Ed playfully rolled his eyes and entered the home. 

“Jay out?” 

“Yeah, he is spending the weekend watching the twins.” 

Ed only nodded, sensing Bart didn’t really want to talk about it. 

“So what’s on the agenda? Movies? Dinner? Video games? All of the above?” 

“Yes. All. Everything.” 

Ed laughed and the two decided to order a pizza and find a game to play while they wait. 

After serious debate, they settled on Just Dance. It was the only game Bart hadn’t already played at least 14 times. 

Truthfully, Bart hated dancing games. He had terrible rhythm and he couldn’t use his speed to help him play. But Ed insisted and Bart couldn’t exactly tell him no. 

So, Ed booted it up and handed Bart the player 2 remote. 

Bart begrudgingly took it and strapped it tight, tight enough to leave a faint indent. 

“What song do you want to do?” 

“You’re the guest. You choose.” 

After scrolling through for a few minutes, Ed settled on a katy perry song. 

“Dude? ‘Hot and cold’? That’s your choice?” Bart teased as he bumped into Ed gently. 

“Yes. It’s a good song ese.” Ed said in a serious tone, which only caused Bart to giggle more. Bart put up his hands in a joking manner. 

“Okay, okay, I’m sure it’s crash. Let’s start.” 

And so the dancing began. 

Ed and Bart were both very animated when they were playing video games and doing a game like this, a game that was made to have you move around, only made it worse. 

Bart had slowly gotten better, though he could never be as good as Ed. He was practically a natural. He moved with such fluidity and precision you'd assume he had been dancing since he could walk.

He was seemingly flawless. He was seemingly perfect. He was absolutely… beautiful. 

Wait, what? 

Bart was so absorbed in watching Ed move that he missed the footwork and stumbled into Ed. 

The extra weight into Ed’s side caused a domino effect. 

They fell to the floor, Bart on his hands and knees on top of Ed. 

Bart stayed like that, a blush darkening across his cheeks. Ed looked up at Bart, taking note of his brightly colored face.

Bart was frozen, staring down. 

“Bart..?” Ed spoke softly, wetting his lips. He watched with anticipation to see what the speedster would do. When Bart was unresponsive, Ed raised an eyebrow, “What are you doing?”

This is the moment Bart realised how close their faces were. Their noses were a mere millimeters away. 

Bart snapped out of it and sped back, giving an awkward laugh. 

“Nothing. What. hahaha sorry hermano. I guess I just kinda slipped.” 

Ed sat up slowly, trying to hide the sound of disappointment. 

“Right.” Ed stood and took a quick breath, praying to the universe to give him a few moments of courage. “Well, that’s too bad.” 

Bart cocked his head to the side and scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. “Why’s that?” 

Ed felt unstoppable as he closed the distance between himself and Bart. He cupped Bart’s cheeks in his hands and leaned down. 

“I was hoping you were going to do this.” Ed’s warm breath tickled Bart’s lips but it didn’t bother him. Ed slowly closed the microscopic distance.

Bart’s mind went from going a hundred miles an hour to being completely blank. The only thing running through his mind was how wonderful this moment was. Ed’s lips were soft and gentle and seemed to fit perfectly with his own. 

Bart pulled away first, sucking in a deep breath as he tried to formulate a sentence. 

“Woah,” was all that Bart could express. Ed nodded in agreement, chuckling to himself. 

“Woah indeed ese.”

“Woah.”


	3. Day 3: Alternate Universe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zombie Au.  
Sorry I'm a horror/gore gal who loves death and angst and sad things just as much as she loves cute stuff.  
Hope y'all enjoy <3

The outbreak started a month ago. They were in their college when they heard the sirens. The ones who thought it was a joke carried on as normal, but there were a few students who couldn’t bring themselves to believe it was a joke. 

Most of the population died. Almost everyone in Happy Harbor University died within a week. Those who survived were split into groups. 

One of the groups were a small group of friends. Bart Allen, Ed Dorado, Jaime Reyes, Garfield Logan, Cassie Sandsmark, Traci Thurston, and Virgil Hawkins. They were all freshmen and had been friends since highschool. 

They only knew of one other group on campus who were still alive, they were seniors and made it very apparent that they didn’t want to ‘team up’. They were content enduring this on their own, so the two groups stayed on opposite sides of campus. 

They all had their jobs. Bart led a team, himself, Jaime, and Ed, to do recon since they were the fastest in the group. The other 4 took turns searching for food in the abandoned dorms. Those who didn’t go out or look for food had to secure their floor, killing the zombies if they wandered too close for comfort. It was rare that they did, but better safe than sorry. 

It was the ‘speed team’ that had a really hard job. Their entire goal was to find survivors, find information, find anything that could be useful for the group. 

One day while on their daily patrol, weeks after the first outbreak, Jaime noticed a yellow flyer. 

‘SAFE HAVEN IN GOTHAM. GATES CLOSE BY THE FIRST SNOW’ 

Jaime grabbed the flyer and tore it from the pole, reading it carefully. 

“Guys. Check this out.” 

Bart and Ed read it, both dumbfounded. 

“What the hell?” Bart snatched it from Jaime and read it once more, as if the words would magically change. “It has to be fake. There is no way there is a secure place away from the Z’s. Especially in a place like Gotham.” 

Jaime frowned, taking the paper back. “We were able to secure a place here.” 

“Just because there hasn’t been an incident in a few weeks does not mean we have it secure.” 

“We can’t stay here Bart.” 

“Bart, he might be right. Let’s talk to the group.” 

“No. You guys put me in charge. I need to make these decisions. It’s for the best.” 

“Whatever you say leader.” Jaime hissed out as he started running back down the road they had just came from. 

“Living like this isn’t living ese. Just remember that.” Ed squeezed Bart’s shoulder before turning on his heels and running a few yards away. “It’s getting dark. We should head back.” 

Bart begrudgingly nodded and caught up to Ed. 

Jaime had most likely booked it back to basecamp, on the 11th floor of their old dorm building. When they first heard about the outbreak, they immediately made a plan. They knew the 11th floor had very few students, so they agreed to meet up there. Immediately they sprung into action, blocking off all entry points except one. Virgil and Jaime spent hours busting open rooms to search for supplies. 

The food and supplies from the dorms have long since been used and now they use the extra rooms for storage. 

Thanks to Cassie, everything is orderly. She spent a solid week moving furniture, clothing, blankets, and food around and now everyone has their own space.

Most nights however, they all sleep together, too afraid of an attack. 

Bart and Ed made their way to the side of the building that had a fire escape. They climbed quickly and pulled the ladder up and secured it. 

After that was the worst part. They had to silently maneuver throughout the messy hallways and stairwells to get to their floor. Desks, beds, dressers, computers, tvs and gaming systems littered the floors. 

When the virus first kicked in, people tried to out run in. They hastily packed bags and hoped to get out of here before they got caught. 

The pair climbed up and did their knock to show it was them. They soon heard the dressers being shoved aside and the door opened. Gar greeted them, looking pale. 

Bart frowned and walked in, pushing past Gar. 

“What happened.” 

Cassie and Jaime were surrounding Traci, who had been lying on the ground. 

Bart scanned the scene and noticed Traci had an old towel wrapped around her upper arm. 

“What. Happened.” He repeated when Cassie looked up, tears staining her cheeks and her eyes were red and puffy. 

“I.. Traci and I were on our run for food. We went to the cafe and looked around.. I saw a door for the basement. When we went down there it was quiet. I thought it was safe. I went to grab cans and I heard her scream.” 

Bart’s heart stopped for a moment. He walked over and knelt beside her, across from Jaime.

Jaime was dabbing her forehead with a wet towel. Her skin was translucent and pale, her breath uneven. 

“Traci… I am so sorry.” 

“I-it’s o-okay B… art.. I’m j.. Just sorry I let… you guys… d-down.” She slurred out before opening her eyes and looking at him. Bart tried to not react, but her eyes shocked him. They had lost their warm chocolate brown color. Now they were a dingy grey. She grasped Bart’s hoodie sleeve and choked back a sob. “A-am I going to…. D.. die?” 

Bart took a deep breath and plastered on a smile. A smile he used to give back when life was happy and good and right. It was warm, even if it was forced and it instantly made Traci calm down.

“No. You didn’t let us down. And you aren’t going to die. Just rest. You know Jaime will stop at nothing to keep you safe.” 

This made Traci give a small laugh and turn her face ever so slightly towards Jaime. 

“I l.. Love you J-Jaime R..eyes.” 

“And I love you Traci Thurston.” 

“..’m t’red.” 

“Go to sleep my angel.” 

Jaime smoothed her hair until her breathing slowed down. Her pained look softened slightly and Bart stood. 

“You’re going to kill her aren’t you?” Jaime whisper-yelled at Bart who just kept walking. 

Bart did what he always did when he felt his entire earth shattering. He went to Ed’s room. 

He knocked softly before Ed said a quick “come in”. He entered the room and shut the door quietly. 

“Hey..” 

“Oh get over here already.” Ed opened his arms and Bart practically threw himself into them. 

Ever since Virgil’s death the first week. Ever since he was voted the leader. Ever since even before all the chaos, Bart found comfort in Ed. Something about him made him feel safe. 

Before the outbreak, Bart and Ed were in a constant loop of ‘are they going to happen/are they not going to happen’. There had always been something there but when you’re fighting every day to survive, you find yourself unable to focus on something as superficial as a romance. Even if they weren’t official, they often found comfort in each other’s company. 

They laid there in silence for most likely half an hour, but without a clock it was hard to say. Eventually though, Ed looked down at Bart who had curled himself into Ed’s side. 

“I know you don’t want to think about it but, when are we going to.. You know.. ‘Deal with’ Traci?” Ed combed his fingers through Bart’s messy hair. Bart tensed up and stared at the ceiling. 

“Honestly? I have no idea. With Virgil we didn’t have time to.. Say goodbye.” Bart was careful with his words and sighed. “Let Jaime say his goodbyes. Then I’ll do it.” 

“Bart you don’t have to-” 

“Yes. I do. You made me leader. It’s my job.” 

“You aren’t doing it alone.” 

Bart opened his mouth to argue but he didn’t really want to refuse help. 

Neither spoke, and eventually they both dozed off because the next thing Bart remembered was Jaime storming in. 

“If we would have gone to the safe haven this would have been fine.” 

Ed practically flew up and was immediately on the defense. 

“Woah, woah, woah. We found the flyer today. So no matter what Traci would still be injured.” 

“The safe haven is a two hour drive. I don’t know if you realised this ‘hermano’ but 2 hour drive would be close to 2 days. Probably longer since you need to sleep and eat and watch out for zombies.” Bart snapped at Jaime who just stood dumbfounded. “By all means. If you want to risk that. Go. I’m not forcing you to stay. And I hope you survive. But I can’t be optimistic when it comes to the group and our safety. I can’t lose any more of my friends to these monsters.” 

Jaime stood, unsure how to respond. His previous fire had been reduced to ashes. 

“Now if you’ll excuse me. I have to deal with our friend. Unless you’d like to tell me how I’m doing that wrong too.” 

Bart left and made his way to Traci, who was still asleep. Ed followed right behind, with Jaime at his side. 

“I’m sorry ese, it’s just.. This all sucks.” 

“You’re telling me. Now, let’s move her down a floor.” 

Ed and Jaime lifted her gently, and the four of them went downstairs. When they went down, Bart lifted his metal baseball bat and closed his eyes. 

“I’m sorry.” 

The boys returned upstairs and went jaime said his goodbyes quickly before going to his room. 

“I’m not going to ask if you’re okay. So. Want to go lay down?” Ed asked softly, peeling the bat from Bart’s hands. Bart gave a quick nod before Ed led him to the room. 

They got comfortable and sat in silence before Bart spoke up. 

“Can you tell me the story. About the superheroes?” 

Ed gave a small smile before kissing the top of Bart’s head. 

“For you? Of course.” 

And so Ed retold the story of a speedster and a teleporter who would save the world from anything from aliens to robots and everything in between. 

“I love you Ed.” 

“I know Bart.” 

“I don’t want to lose you too.” 

“You won’t. Go to sleep. I love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay but like. What did y'all think. This didn't take nearly as long as i originally thought it would and I kinda like it


	4. Day 4: Sugar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I know it's cliche but I couldn't stop myself. Please enjoy these boys baking.

Ed wanted to raise money for the clinic, and what better way to raise money than with a bake sale? 

He was able to convince the team to each bake a batch of something.

They all did and slowly gave the sugary snacks to Ed for safe keeping. 

It turns out Gar has a knack for making apple turnovers. 

The night before the bake sale, Ed was doing inventory of his baked goods. He noticed he never received anything from Bart. Come to think of it, he hadn’t heard from Bart in a few days either. 

He asked the team and they all said they weren’t sure and to ask Jay. So that’s what he did. 

One quick phone call later, Ed was at Bart’s doorstep. During the call Jay said Bart has been in the kitchen nonstop. He invited Ed over to coax the speedster out so Jay could have his kitchen back. 

Ed walked in and saw a very unusual sight. 

Bart had his face buried in a cookbook, his hair wild and unkempt. He was muttering to himself about batter or proportions or something, it was hard to understand because he was talking so fast. 

“Hey?” Ed said as he walked into the mess that was once a kitchen. Now baking dishes and ingredients cover every surface in the small area.

Bart removed his nose from the book, revealing to Ed a sweet smile covered in flour. In fact, now that Ed has a good look at Bart, Bart is completely coated with flour. 

“Oh, heh. What are you doing here?” 

“I was doing inventory for the bake sale tomorrow and I noticed I didn’t have the chocolate chip cookies. What are you doing?” Ed looked around and saw batches upon batches of the chocolate cookies he was promised. He smiled and snatched one, putting it in his mouth before Bart could tell him to stop. 

He immediately spit the chalky dessert out with a groan. 

“What did you put in these ese?” 

“Uh. That’s the batch I put too much flour in.” Bart gave a sympathetic smile and a small chuckle, plucking the cookie from Ed’s hand. “Turns out… I can’t bake to save my life.” 

“How many batches have you made?” 

“Today? Or since you asked?” 

“Since I asked.” 

“Hmmm..” He glanced around and counted in his mind. “73.” 

Ed’s eyes went wide and Bart gave a nod. 

“Yeahhh. Needless to say, Jay isn’t happy with how much money I’ve spent.” 

Ed walked around “I bet.” He picked up another cookie and looked at it, it was severely burnt and left black residue on his fingertips. “Why didn’t you say something earlier?”

“I just. Everyone else had such amazing food. And you were so impressed. And I didn’t want to let you down.” 

Ed squinted at Bart as he wrinkled his nose. “How would you let me down?” 

“Because you wanted help. And they all did perfectly fine on their own. And-” 

“Bart. We can do them together.” 

“No. No. It’s fine.” Bart shook his head quickly. 

Ed smiled warmly, putting a hand on Bart’s shoulder. 

“I insist. Besides. I happen to enjoy baking.” 

“Okay a-mi-go but only if you are sure.” 

“I’m sure. But first. Let’s clean up.” 

Ed grabbed a few trays of cookies and began throwing them away. Bart zipped through and got the rest of the 73 batches and they quickly cleaned up the mess. After that was done, Ed looked in Bart’s pantry. 

“Good news is we don’t have much we need to buy. But there are a few things we need. I’ll make a list then we can head out, okay?” 

Bart agreed and they made their way out. Since it was late when Ed stopped by, most of the grocery stores were closed. Bart looked up what stores were open, since midnight was fast approaching. They settled on wal-mart. 

The store was beyond dead, except the night staff who were stocking the shelves in silence. 

The two boys walked close together, sometimes bouncing into each other as they scanned the isles for their needs. 

Ed read the bags of chocolate chips in content silence while Bart looked around. 

He hadn’t noticed, but his foot was tapping in a fast movement. 

Ed glanced up for a moment, giving Bart a ‘please stop’ look and Bart gave an innocent smile. 

After a few minutes, he started tapping his hand against his thigh instead. 

This time, Ed took the hand and interlocked it with his own, he looked back at Bart. 

“The more you distract me the longer this will take ese.” He returned to reading the many different types of chocolate, calmly, like this was a normal thing they did. 

Bart looked down at their hands, laced together perfectly, and gave a small sigh. He watched Ed read through and eventually, he settled on a yellow bag. 

“Anything else?” Bart asked as Ed set the bag of chips into the basket he set on the floor. Ed straightened up, all without letting go of Bart’s hand. 

“I we need baking soda and flour and then I think we should be good.” He didn’t seem phased that they were still holding hands, he just looked content. He gave a quick gasp that shocked Bart. “Oh and milk.” 

Bart gave a boxy grin and nodded. 

“Right. Milk” 

They finished their shopping and it wasn’t until they were back at Ed’s car that Ed removed his hand. 

Bart looked down, his hand felt lost without the other attached to it. He heaved a small sigh before getting into the car. 

Ed put the keys in and shifted into drive before resting his arm on the center console. He left his hand palm up and Bart watched it for a moment before sliding his hand over. He bumped his pinky finger into Ed’s thumb and looked up scanning for some sort of reaction. What he wasn’t expecting was for Ed to calmly slid his hand over more, causing Bart’s to lock into place with his own. 

They didn’t talk about what was happening, instead they just enjoyed the moment. 

When they arrived back to the house, they unloaded the few bags and quickly went inside. 

They set the ingredients out and Ed looked at Bart. 

“Ready?”

“Yes.” 

The two began mixing the ingredients together and soon enough the first batch was in the oven and cooking. 

When working on the second batch, the sleep deprived goofiness kicked in. Bart would poke and prod Ed while Ed would be mixing or scooping, causing him to giggle and squirm. 

In return, Ed asked Bart to try the batter, holding the spoon out. When Bart leaned in to try it, Ed smeared it across his cheeks and lips. Ed cackled as he set the spoon down. 

“You got a little something right there ese.” He teased, wrinkling his nose and wiping his mouth. 

“Oh yeah? Right there?” Bart smirked, dipping two fingers in the mostly empty batter bowl. 

“No!” Ed giggled as Bart wiped the batter on Ed’s nose. Bart was now full blown howling and Ed shook his head. “Oh, you think this is funny?” 

Bart nodded, unable to make any noise than a wheeze. 

Ed took the bowl as amo and wipes his hand in it. “It’s on.” 

They chased each other around the kitchen, laughing and wiping batter wherever they could. 

Eventually, Bart had Ed cornered. 

“You’re going to pay for all of this.” Though the words themselves were vaguely threatening, the whole scene just made Ed laugh harder. Bart had batter coating most of his face, clothing and even hair. Ed was less covered, his clothing and only his nose had batter, but he knew he still looked just as ridiculous. 

“Oh am I? How?” Ed teased, trying not to laugh at his friend’s appearance. 

It was then Ed realised just how close the two had been standing. Bart was close enough that Ed could feel his heartbeat pounding, similar to his own. 

Bart didn’t respond, instead he just moved his face closer to Ed’s. He grabbed the spatula with batter and smeared it across Ed’s mouth, cackling. 

Ed took Bart’s face and pulled it to his, before connecting their batter covered lips. 

Bart’s hands found their place at Ed’s waist, as he pulled Ed closer. He deepened the kiss earning a soft moan from Ed. 

In that moment, everything was absolutely perfect. 

Until the smoke detector went off. 

“Shit our cookies.”


	5. Day 5: Public Heroes/Private Lives

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is literally just based off of a TFIL video. 100% self indulgent because I loved this video so I am aware the fic itself is v bad haha
> 
> summary: Basically, the entire team rents out a water park for themselves for the day and they all have a day of fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tbh not super zetaflash based, more so just the kids having fun for once lol.

Being a public hero definitely had its perks. Sure, there are obvious ones like being super popular, having a fanbase, getting free stuff when you go places.

While those are all fun and cool and whatever, it can also be a double edged sword. When you get popular, you lose a lot of freedom. Now, everyone wants to know everything about you, where you are, who you are hanging out with, what you are eating, they want it all. 

It can be hard to have any kind of relationship, platonic or romantic, when you have fans, critics, and everything in between watching your every move. 

That is something Bart and Ed had to learn very quickly. 

Ever since Bart became Kid Flash, his popularity skyrocketed immensely. 

This boost made it hard for Ed and Bart to really be together. When they were out as a team they had to be strictly platonic. Strictly just teammates. Ed found this particularly challenging because of the times he would go to save Bart, and Bart yelled for him to help someone else. 

But when they were alone, or at least out of the public eye, they could really be a couple. 

Ed learned as time went on that Bart is actually a helpless romantic. He does everything by the books. Sweet good morning texts, opening doors, cheesy gestures, like when he would kiss Ed’s hand while watching tv or when he absentmindedly played with Ed’s unruly hair. Of course, instead of jewelry and flowers he offered (poorly cooked) homemade meals and new video games. 

Bart always knew exactly what to say or do and Ed adored that. 

Ever since The Outsiders became trending, it became nearly impossible to go on dates like they first did. 

Before they could sneak around and go to fun little places like the movies, or empty run down malls. Nobody would bat an eye, but now everyone who is anyone knows who they are, even out of their hero outfits. Teens have even turned into paparazzi as far as they are concerned. 

One day, however, Gar had an idea for the group, so he made some calls and called in some favors. They were able to rent out an entire water park for the day. Full security who were sworn to secrecy while the team had their day of fun. 

The teens were all excited to say the least, even the older heroes came. 

Dick forced Artemis to come and talked her into bringing Lian and Will. 

The morning of, everyone loaded onto the bioship and headed to the park. They arrived fairly quickly, all the kids beaming with excitement. They all talked about what they wanted to do first. 

Everyone agreed the wave pool. Since the pool wasn’t completely filled with kids and adults and all things in between, the staff were all very laid back. Nobody yelled at Bart when he jokingly got into one of the many lifeguard chairs and began acting like he was in charge. 

He whistled loudly and began pointing at Gar and Tim, who had Perdita and Cassie on their shoulders respectively, about to start a chicken fight. 

“No fighting in my pool!” Bart yelled jokingly.

“Dude this isn’t your pool.” Gar yelled back, to which Bart stuck his tongue out and scrunched his nose. 

“They aren’t stopping me now are they? That means they agree!” 

The life guards giggle and Bart beams. 

“Actually ese, they aren’t stopping you cause I am.” Bart jumped at the sound of his boyfriend from behind him. 

“Wh-” 

Before Bart could finish, Ed scooped him up in a quick motion and planted a kiss on his lips.

“Chill babe” Ed whispered, smirking softly before tossing his boy into the deep end. As soon as he did, the entire group cheered Ed on. 

Bart swam to the surface right as Ed did a cute bow. 

“Thank you, thank you I’ll be here all night.” This earned even more cheering as he laughed as he took a few steps back before doing a flip into the pool. 

He landed only a foot away from Bart, completely soaking him once more. He floated up and flipped his dripping hair out of his face. 

After a few rounds in the wave pool, everyone decided to split up and do some slides/water rides.

Ed, Traci, Jaime and Bart decided to hang out together. They discussed what they wanted to do, since they were given free range of the park. 

They settled on the slides. 

Bart and Jaime grabbed two 2-people tubes and the four of them made their way up the tall slide. 

When they came up, Bart asked the worker a question. 

“Would it be possible for us to all 4 go together?” 

The worker raised an eyebrow, “Usually no. Safety regulations and all that but…” she trailed off before smiling brightly, “I’m a big fan and you guys are heroes so I think you can manage.” 

“Crash!” He thanked her before returning to the other three. “Guys. I have an idea.” 

They heard his plan and everyone was on board. 

The plan was simple enough. Bart and Ed start in the blue tube, Traci and Jaime in the green and they need to switch tubes before hitting the bottom of the slide. Easy peasy. 

Artemis watched from ‘kiddy city’ with Lian and Will, confused what the teens were doing. 

Artemis stood, getting ready to intervene when Will laughed. 

“Don’t worry. Let them have fun.” 

“Auntie mouse, auntie mouse build a sand castle!” Lian giggled as she waddled over to the water to get a bucket full. 

“On my way.” Artemis shook her head and returned her attention to Lian. 

Jaime and Traci went first, followed closely by Bart and Ed.

All Bart was able to hear was giggling, all he could see was water splashing into his face. The four of them scrambled around the slide, clinging onto each other and the tubes as they made their way down. Traci was the first to successfully switch to the other tube, but she got pulled off by Jaime who was trying to crawl on as well. 

They all landed in the pool at the bottom with a loud splash, the tubes falling shortly after. 

“We have to try again. We’ll get it this time.” Traci giggles as she squeezed the excess water from her hair. 

They tried and failed again, and again, and again. Eventually, they had a small crowd of teammates cheering them on. 

Forager, Gar, Perdita, Dick, Babs, Tim, and Cassie were all watching and commenting on what they were doing wrong and how to fix it. 

Then Halo, Terra, Conner, M’gann, and Virgil joined in. 

After their 6th attempt, they got it. They all laughed and squealed with excitement as they landed at splashed into the pool. Bart practically flew out of the water as he jumped in victory. 

“That was so much fun!” Traci laughed, Bart nodded in agreement, trying to catch his breath from all of the flopping around in the slide. 

“What should we do now?” Bart asked his group before Ed and Jaime glanced at each other. 

“Lead the way.” Jaime smiled as Bart looked confused. 

Ed clarified for him. 

“You always have great ideas. So you tell us.” 

And so they spent the rest of the day doing many more (questionable) things.


	6. Day 6: Shenanigans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So this is inspired by a youtube video, (I don't remember who's video it was but it had Sam and Colby in it if you guys know who those are)   
I don't know if the video is still up but it was a prank video that went too far. and I wanted to adapt it to be zetaflash because im kind of awful.  
Also because I am many days late and I want to finish this so I can work on my other many stories.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fair warning, i didn't edit this so there are definitely grammar and spelling mistakes. oops.   
this one is sad like the alternate universe day. fair warning.

When the prank war started, it was light hearted and fun. Slowly, they accumulated points based on the difficulty of the prank and who they were able to prank. 

Eventually, the team all quit, for one reason or another, except Ed and Bart. These two refused to give up the title as ‘the ultimate prankster’

The rules had changed over time, and now they were only allowed to prank each other. 

A few weeks have passed since the last time either one of them had done a prank. 

Ed had pretended to break Bart’s computer, using it as a pinata. Bart was livid, for obvious reasons and when he realised it was a prank he knew he would have to get Ed back ten fold. 

He knew Ed wouldn’t be able to prank him again until he got payback, that was a staple rule that hadn’t changed. So Ed had to stew in his anxiety, never really knowing when Bart would get him back. 

It wasn’t until Bart was feeding the twins that he had the awful idea. 

He called up Gar, and told him of the plan, and even the prankster Garfield Logan was worried about this one. 

Bart was able to talk him into going through with the prank nonetheless. 

Bart invited Ed to the movie theater, which wasn’t uncommon, even during the prank war. After all, they are still best friends. 

Bart and Ed were waiting for their uber to come get them and they had normal small talk. 

“You ready for the movie hermano?” Bart asked, as he typed away on his phone, trying to get an eta from Gar. 

“Yeah, afterwards you wanna grab some food?” 

“Dude. I always want to grab food.” 

Both boys laugh and the uber pulled up. 

The driver was Gar, though he didn’t look or sound like himself. He managed to get a glamour charm, which turned him from his normal appearance to a semi-creepy middle aged man. Bart could tell it was him since they had met prior to that night to finish planning. 

Bart opened the door and Ed got in, scooting across the seat. Bart joined him and shut the door. 

“Good evening boys.” The driver turned around with a close-mouthed smile that made Ed uneasy.

‘Okay, creepy’ Ed thought but didn’t want to make a scene since Bart didn’t seem to mind the guy. 

Bart said hi and they had a very quick conversation before the driver put the parked car into drive and made his way. 

Bart spent the entire ride on his phone, not paying attention and Ed had been too, but Ed realised it was taking way longer than it should to take them to the movies. What should have been a 25 minute ride was now going on an hour. 

Ed sent a text and watched Bart for a response. 

E: Uh, we’ve been in here for a long time. 

B: has it? Guess i zoned out lol 

E: Which theater’s address did you give him? 

B: The closest one. Why?

E: Because we aren’t in the city anymore. 

B: Gimme a sec. Ill deal with it. 

Bart cleared his throat and leaned forward, “Hey, what’s with the detour?” 

“Oh, I know a shortcut.” The guy said, gripping the wheel tighter. 

“Are you sure, because this is taking longer.” 

“Yeah. I’m sure.” The man snapped before turning his attention to the sputtering car. “Shit.” 

They pulled off to the side of the road and the man put the vehicle in park. 

“I’ll be right back. Stay put.” 

With that he left, and popped the hood of the car. The inside got silent as Ed tried to watch the man work. 

“Is this a prank?” Ed asked flatly, Bart looked confused. 

“I spent money on these movie tickets. No it’s not a prank. But he’s been out there a while, should we like, call someone? Or help? Or something?” 

Ed frowned. “I don’t know, he said to stay put.” 

They waited a few more minutes when Ed realised that the guy stopped messing with the car. It was silent. Ed looked over to Bart and said he was going to check the car out, even when Bart offered to come with.

“I know cars. It will only be a moment.” 

Bart tried not to giggle, everything was falling so perfectly into place. He sent a text to let Gar, to be ready cause Ed was coming. 

Gar got the text and got into place, at the hood looking confused. 

“I just. I don’t understand. It’s leaking some fluid and I can’t tell if it’s oil or water or what.” 

Ed offered to take a look, seeing the genuine frustration from their driver. He let his guard down and began looking under the hood. 

He noticed the fluid in question and touched it, he rubbed it around and smelled it before turning around to ask for a light to see what color it was. 

When he turned around, the driver slapped an inhibitor collar on him. 

“Bart ru-” The driver shoved a towel in his mouth as a gag and had Ed on the floor before he could do anything. 

At some point, he had a bag over his head and was knocked out because the next thing he knew, he was tied to a chair somewhere windy. 

He started thrashing around, hoping to break free or at least hoping to get the bag off of him so he could assess the situation. 

Gar noticed he was awake and put back on the charm, as he tied Bart up as well. 

Gar walked over to Ed and ripped off the bag. Ed’s eyes adjusted and he figured out why it was so windy, the driver took them to the roof of some building. 

The driver had a gun and was pacing, “You know how much money I could make in the meta ring for you two heroes?” 

Ed felt a pit in his stomach and his mind was racing. The driver ripped off the bag on bart's head and ripped off the duct tape on his mouth. 

“Ed are you okay? We are going to be fine. Just. Trust me. Stay calm. The team will get u-” 

The man backhanded Bart, who screamed in pain. 

“Shut your mouth kid. I’ll gag you if I have to. Or I’ll kill you.” 

Ed tried to speak but couldn’t get the tape off. Instead he just yelled muffled words. 

“Look. I don’t want to hurt either of you but I need you guys to stay quiet or I will. Deal? Stay quiet and I can let you two say goodbyes.” 

Ed couldn’t believe what was happening, but he figured if he could get the tape off maybe they could scream and get someone, anyone to help. He gave a half nod and the tape was removed. 

“Ed.. don’t scream.. Please.” Bart begged, trying to wriggle out of the ropes, Ed noticed he also had an inhibitor collar on which makes sense why Bart hadn’t escaped yet. 

This whole thing was pure chaos. Ed couldn’t get his brain to even register everything, he was in fight or flight mode. He just wanted to get help. So, he screamed. 

“Help us!!! Please. Help. Anyone?” He yelled before also receiving a hand to his mouth. The man pointed the gun at ed, grabbing his throat. 

“You yell one more time and your buddy over there is going to get shot. You hear me?” 

Bart had genuine fear but Ed couldn’t focus on anything other that the hand around his throat and the gun on his face. 

“Let my friend go. We don’t have money. We don’t have anything you’d want.” 

“No. That’s where you’re wrong. You -are- money my friends. A speedster and a teleporter. That is like diamonds and pearls to the meta trafficking world.” 

Ed noticed Bart was fidgeting and was actually getting free, so he tried distracting him. 

“You don’t have to do this.” 

Bart had successfully gotten free from the ropes and slowly started looking around for a weapon or something to defend himself with. 

“You don’t know me. You don’t know what I have to do. Do you think I want this? I need this money.” 

Bart tripped over the rope and the driver whipped around, steadying his gun. 

“Tsk tsk tsk. It’s a shame to be losing big money. But. you won’t be much use if you don’t follow directions.” 

“No. don’t do it. Don’t shoot him. Shoot me. He’s everything I have. I can’t.. I can’t do this without him. Please.” Ed begged, trying to thrash his way out of the ropes. 

The man didn’t listen, instead he fired the gun. Ed shrunk away from the gunshot and closed his eyes. 

Ed lost it at that point, he started screaming, sobbing, wheezing. He went limp, unable to fully process. He was lost in his own head that he didn’t notice gar taking off the charm, or Bart getting up. 

“No no no no no no no.” Ed kept muttering as he stared at his lap. 

Bart ran over and tried to untie him, Ed flinched away. 

“Amigo, hermano, ese look. It’s me. I’m okay.” 

Bart began untying the ropes that had Ed stuck to the chair. Ed looked up confused and hurt and sad.

“I.. But you? What?” 

“I think I just won the mega prank war, no?” Bart laughed, as he finished getting Ed free. 

Ed looked around, when he realised they were at the hub. He was frozen in shock as Bart took off his inhibitor collar, then Ed’s. Bart pulled Ed into a bear hug while Ed processed slowly. 

“What the fuck. What. the. Fuck.” 

“I’m sorry. I needed something extreme if i was going to win.” 

“I. hate you. What the fuck.” 

Bart pulled back and lifted Ed’s chin gently, making him look at him. 

“I know. I’m sorry. I love you ese. I won’t ever do that again.” 

Gar slowly walked over, “I’m so sorry dude, I was promised chicken whizees. Group hug?” 

Ed nodded as Gar threw himself into the hug. 

“Can we go watch a movie now?” Ed asked after a long time of them hugging. 

“Of course.” 

“Please don’t pretend to die again.” 

“I won’t. I promise.” 

\--- 

Over the next few weeks, even though Bart had won the prank war, it was Ed who was treated like a god. Both Gar and Bart did whatever Ed wanted without hesitation, as compensation for their awful prank.


	7. Day 7: Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ed asks Bart to prom, then they talk about the future.

Because of the world Bart grew up with, he had never really thought about his future. He mostly just thought about if/when he’d eat next or he’d be daydreaming about a normal life. He hadn’t even realized he was planning for the future, or even looking forward for it until Ed got announcements for the prom. 

...

Ed and he sat in Bart’s room a week or so after the theme for prom was announced, doing homework. The theme was ‘diamonds are forever’ and judging by how all of the girls were talking about it, this was supposed to be a very romantic, magical theme. Bart still didn’t understand a lot of the ‘retro’ customs, for instance, what was the point of a high school dance even having a theme, but he was always willing to give anything a shot. 

Bart focused on his trig homework in silence, sometimes giving an ‘ooo’ or an ‘ahh’ when he solved a new problem. 

Ed, who should have been working on his senior project for English instead just stared at the two homecoming tickets he had tucked into his book. He gulped audibly, but Bart was too fixated in his homework to notice. Ed picked up one of the tickets and grazed his finger over the shiny silver text on ticket. 

“Hey, whatcha got there?” Bart asked, closing his textbook with a stretch. He stood and walked over to Ed, who slammed his book shut. 

“Oh nothing, just homework.” 

Bart nodded and sat down next to Ed, who had been leaning against Bart’s bed. Bart laid his head on the other’s shoulder and interlocked their fingers before closing his eyes with a content sigh. Ed relaxed and took a second to look from the book in his lap to his boyfriend. 

“So Bart.” 

“Hmm?” 

“I was going to wait for the perfect moment to ask, but I don’t know when it will be. So. I wanted to know..” He trailed off as he opened the book and pulled out the two tickets, “Would you want to maybe go to prom with me?” 

The old Bart would’ve found it ridiculous. He wouldn’t be able to fathom the idea of not running, hiding, enduring and surviving the Reach. 

The new Bart, the Bart that has been here since he was 13, this Bart was totally pumped for prom. He hadn’t realised he cared about such a silly thing until that moment, when he made a face at his boyfriend and sat up. 

“Duh. I couldn’t see myself going with anyone else amigo.” 

The two hugged and leaned back against the bed, both looking at the ceiling. 

“Hey Bart?” Ed asked, Bart rested his head on Ed’s shoulder and closed his eyes. 

“Yeah?” 

“Do you ever.. Think about the future?” 

Bart paused, only briefly before nuzzling his body closer to Ed’s. 

“I didn’t used to..” Bart started. 

“But now?” 

“Yeah. I think about the future.” 

Ed smiled before closing his eyes too. 

“What do you picture?” 

Bart made a face and laughed, looking up at Ed for a millisecond before giving a dorky grin. 

“Oh I wouldn’t want to bore you with the details..” Bart teased and Ed just laughed, 

“Oh come on. I’ll tell you if you tell me.” 

“Dude, that is so retro.” Bart squinted his eyes before sliding down so he was laying on the carpet completely. “But if you insist.” 

Ed gave a content smirk as he mimicked his boyfriend and he put his hand under his head, the other holding Bart’s hand. 

“I see a dog, obviously. It’s a pug. Cause their faces are just so smushed it’s adorable. I see two kids, two boys, cause there is no way I’d be able to take care of a girl. They need their hair done like, everyday. And I can barely manage my own. I see a house in a good town, a place where we can let our boys run around outside without worrying too much..” 

Ed smiled and turned his head, noticing a faint blush on Bart’s cheeks. 

“We?” 

“Well.. I-I.. Uh.” Bart’s blush went darker. 

“If we don’t get a daughter, can the pug be a girl?” Ed tried to stay nonchalant, but his heart fluttered when he thought about the fact that Bart pictured him in his future. 

“Sure.” 

“What will we name her?” 

Bart pondered for a moment before giving a response.

“I kind of like the name Lola?” 

“Lola the pug?” Ed raised an eyebrow as he glanced at Bart.

“You don’t like it?” 

“No. I love it.” 

\--- 

Their ‘plans’ for the future were quickly forgotten as Prom and finals approached. 

After prom, the school year flew by and before they knew it, Ed was walking across the stage to get his diploma. Ed wasn’t the only one to graduate, but a lot of the crowd was there for him. Even members of the team who had left for college, like Jaime and Virgil had come back to their Alma Mater to celebrate with Ed. 

The whole team had been screaming as Ed walked across, but Bart was the loudest. 

Even through all the chaotic screams and claps, Ed could distinctly hear his boyfriend scream “Look at my boy go!” 

Ed chuckled as he shook his head, a smile lighting up his entire face. He took his diploma and shook the principal’s hand, posing for a quick photo before he faced the crowd and found his seat once more. 

He noticed that Bart had left at some point between Ed getting called and Ed going to sit again. It was bittersweet, Ed was mostly confused where Bart would have ran off to. 

When the ceremony was over, Ed said goodbye to his fellow seniors. He went back to homeroom to get a few photos and a parting gift for his homeroom teacher. The teacher cried, which in turn made a lot of the students cry. 

“I’m just so proud I got to see you all grow up. I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for you.” 

After the heartbreaking goodbye, Ed texted Bart to find out where the team was for photos. Bart said by the bleachers and Ed made his way there. 

When he arrived, The only one there was Bart, which made Ed only more confused. 

“Where is everyone?” 

“Oh did I say they were by the bleachers? I meant in the gym. Let’s go. Come on.” 

Ed was even more confused but complied, letting Bart lead him to the gym. 

When they made it, Bart covered Ed’s eyes and led him in, he could tell there were people there, since he heard someone yell a quiet ‘shhhh’ 

Bart removed his hands from Ed’s eyes and ran in front of him, the room dark. 

“Surprise!” Everyone shouted as they turned on the lights, revealing a really nicely decorated room. Bart was holding something behind his back and Ed eyed him up. 

“Whatcha got there ese?” 

“A graduation gift…” He pulled the present out to reveal a small black pug with a big pink bow on it’s collar. “This is Lola.” 

Ed’s eyes flickered as he remembered the conversation a few months back. 

“You remembered?”

“How could I forget hermano? It’s our future.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the last entry for zetaflash week 2019 :(   
It's kinda bittersweet. I'm glad cause i actually finished it! (only a few days late oops) but I'm going to miss not writing a bunch of stories for them.   
Maybe I'll write a longer fic (like tales of birdflash) who knows haha

**Author's Note:**

> If anyone was wondering, Bart named the fish "El Fishardo" (get it haha el dorado.. but a fish... haha im so punny)


End file.
